Machine for packing asparagus



1' March 19, 19 29. s, K W 1,705,920

MACHINE FOR PACKING ASPARAGUS Filed Sept. 26, 1,927

5o q l INVENTOR; Q2023 GwSM'ra/Faa/Q.

' Y ATTORNEY.

vide a method of assembling the shoots when one crate full has beenplaced in ,th packing receptacle.

Patented Mar. 19, 1929. V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-GEORGE S. HIRAKAWA, OF SUISUN, CALIFORNIA.

. MACHINE r03 PACKING ASPARAGUS. V

' Applicationfiled September 26, 1927.. Serial No. 222,027.

which the asparagus shoots may beassem bled and which is used totransfer the assembled shoots to the crate. r

Another object of the invention is toprowhich will make them moreconvenient to assemble for transference to the crate'and which willinsure. the proper placing of the shoots in the crates. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide means for squeezing'theshoots together to make av tight package and also to enable the buttstobe readily cut off when a crate full of shoots has been prepared.

A further object of the invention is to provide a removable supportforthe, shoots which will enable the receptacle Within which the packing isfirst done to be turned up to transfer the asparagus to the crate Other.objects of the invention .will be parent as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich the samereference numeral is applied to the the same portionthroughout the several figures ofthe-drawings and of which there may bemodifications.

Figure 1 is a front elevation ofthe packing receptacle support,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the packing receptacle support showingthe plate for carrying the cut butts ready to be inserted in position, 1

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the original packing receptacle,

Figure 4: is a perspective view of the butt support used fortransferring the shoots from the packing receptacle to the crate,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the packing receptacle filled ready tobetransferred t0 the crate,

sition when in use.

Figure 6 is a front View of one of the crates showing the padding usedon the bottom of the crate, and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of one of the crates.

The packing receptacle consists of :1 rec tangular sheet metal boX witha bottom 1, ends 2 and 3 and a back 4. This sheet;

metal box is placed on a supporting shelf 5, which shelf is carried bytwo cleats 6 and 7 which are secured at right angles to two posts 8 and9. The posts 8 and 9 are about four feet long and each has a spike asindicated at 10 and 11. Two other cleats 12 and 13 are secured ,to thetwo posts 8 and 9 to hold them rigidly in the position shown in ientheight for the workman to either stand or sitand place the asparagustips in the receptacle with the butts outwardly.

In ordinary practice the butts will. ex-

tend outwardly somewhat'beyond the ends.

Figures 2 and 3. The shelf is at a convennect each post to two screweyes 18 placed 7 inthe bench or building against which the. packingstand is leaned. A cleat 19 at the backand on the top of the shelf 5serves to hold the packingreceptacle in a fixed po- Ordinarily thepacked inthe receptacle somewhat higher than its top whereupon the fiatlever'21 is brought downupon the-top'of the asparagus shoots to pressthem tightly into the receptacle. This lever is locked in thepositionshownby means ofthe pivoted latch lever 22, said lever,beingpivotally connected to th'e'post 9 by means of a lag bolt 01'asparagus shoots arev other suitable bolt 23. The other end of the Vlever is connected by means of a pivot pin 24 to a slidab-lespring bolt25. The bolt 25 slides in two forwardly projecting ears of a plate 26which is secured to the post 8 and the lever 21 has a flattened face at27. to inflattened face down against the upper car of plate 26 holds thelever 21 in a vertical position. Y

When the asparagus has been packed tightly into the receptacle all ofthe butts of the asparagus shoots will project beyond the back of saidreceptacle whereupon a long knife is operated by hand to cut oil theprojecting asparagus butts so that the asparagus shoots will all besubstantially of the same length, the bud ends or tips being packedagainst the sides 4 during the time the receptacle is being filled. Assoon as the receptacle has been filled and the butts cut off the plate30 is placed against the fore part of the asparagus butts, the section31 being placed under the asparagus shoots said plate 30 being then atright angles to the cut off butts. The receptacle with the plate 30 isthen lifted bodily and placed so that the tips of the asparagus willoccupy the position shown in Figure whereupon the asparagus istransferred to the incomplete crate shown in Figure 6.

The crate ordinarily consists of a bottom 85, two trapezoidal ends 36and 37, sides 88, 39 secured to each of the sides of the trapezoidalends, and a top 40, the latter being put on after the asparagus has beenplaced in the crate. The bottom is padded with some moss as indicated.at 41 and two plates with their ends upturned as indicated at 41-2 andd3 are used to hold the moss in place while the asparagus is being putin the crate.

The method of operation is as follows: Assuming the receptacle intowhich the as paragus shoots are to be placed is first placed on thesupport, the workman then takes asparagus shoots of different lengthsand assembles them in this receptacle with the bud ends or tips againstthe back wall 4:. As soon as the receptacle has been filled to aboutgreater than its ordinary capacity the lever 21 is used to squeeze theasparagus tightly into the receptacle whereupon a long knife is used tocut off the 3 uneven butts even with the outer edges of the Thereup onends 2 and 3 of said receptacle. the plate is placed in the positionshown in Figure 5, the box is then turned up and the entire body ofasparagus placed on the top of the two slides 42 and 43 which crate isordinarilyftilted slightly when the asparagus is being placed therein,and the metal plates at the bottom and the metal of the fact that theasparagus tips are alwaysv somewhat thicker at the butt than they are attheextreme top so that the ultimate package is slighly wider at thebottom than it is at the top as illustrated in Figure 7.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is as follows, but modifications may be madein carrying out theinvention as shown in the drawing and in the aboveparticularly described form thereof, within the purview of the annexedclaims:

1. An asparagus packing stand comprising a shelf, means to support theshelf at an incline, means to detachably secure-the support to the wallof a building, a removable packing receptacle, a cleat on the support tohold said packing receptacle in a given position, a presser arm and auniversal hinge on one of the'supports for hold ing said arm to permitit to press the asparagus into place in the packing receptacle or topermit the arms to swing horizontally out of the way of the packer.

2. An asparagus packing stand comprising a shelf, portable means tosupport the shelf in an inclined position, means todetachably secure thesupport to the wall of a building in the desired position, a cleat onthe supportto hold a packing receptacle at a given position, a presserarm carried-by one of the supports for pressing the asparagus into placein the packing receptacle, and a slidable spring bolt holding one end ofsaid arm to enable it to be turned and held in a position out of the wayof thepackeri In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19thday of September, A

GEORGE s. HIRAKAWA.

